Cleanup of LSU lake hyacinth bloom set to begin next week

BATON ROUGE - An organized effort to remove a hyacinth bloom from Crest Lake, one of the smallest in the Baton Rouge Lakes system, is scheduled to start next week.

Baton Rouge resident Matt Thomas said that he and a handful of volunteers have been trying to rid the lake of the plants since early May. The plants don't pose a hazard to the lake's ecosystem while alive, but rob the water of oxygen once they die.

Thomas' cleanup efforts have put a dent in the problem, but the plants are proving too much for his limited manpower. So with help from the Center for Planning Excellence, Thomas was able to get a deal on equipment from the Lafourche Fresh Water District to remove the plants.